The Arrow To My Bow
by AnyAnitage
Summary: "I feel something... a slight tingling in my fingers. I think it's affecting me" "What did I say? He cant hold his liquor!"
1. Chapter 1

"Final count... forty two"

"Forty two?" repeated Gimli with a huge smile on his face. "Oh, that's not bad for a pointy eared Elvish princeling. I myself am sitting upon forty three!"  
Without hesitation, Legolas shot an arrow at the orc the dwarf was sitting on.

"Forty three" announced the elf, beaming.

"He was already dead!" protested Gimli.

"He was twitching" replied Legolas.

"He was twitching 'cause he's got my axe embedded in his nervous system!" said Gimli, pushing his axe deep down the orc's head. Suddenly, the monster's legs and arms started moving.

"Well..." babbled Legolas, as the dwarf gave him a sly gaze.

"Looks like someone doesn't like defeat!" exclaimed Gimli, smug.  
Legolas didn't know what to say. He tried to shrug, but he felt paralyzed. Losing against a dwarf was definitely not good.

"Why don't you go around and look some other half-dead orc?" suggested Gimli, with a fake sad expression. "Yes, those who weren't killed by us, were dinched by the Ents, but... ya never know, right?"

"You know what?" replied Legolas, ignoring his sarcasm, "I think I will. I'll see you later"

"You're crazy, elf!" yelled Gimli, as Legolas turned back and walked away. The dwarf was probably right, and he knew, but he kept walking, undeterred... until he saw them.

"Oh my..." was saying Eowyn, shocked. Aragorn approached her, and she caressed his face with both her hands. She was as speechless as Legolas had felt when he had realised Gimly had killed forty three orcs.  
Aragorn kept quiet, staring into Eowyn's eyes, and she smiled, relieved, and then hugged him tight. Legolas watched them from a short distance, and patiently waited for them to break away. He didn't know why, but he didn't like the way she stared at Aragorn, all stunned and cheery.  
Since the two of them couldn't stop looking at each other, Legolas took a deep breath and decided to leave. Watching Aragorn finally brush Arwen off would've been better if he hadn't been falling for another girl.  
Trying not to think about him, the elf wandered around, looking for some orc that was miraculously still alive. Useless to say that he failed at both.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Man carel le_?"  
(What are you doing?)

Legolas turned around so quickly he hurt his neck.

"Auch... _mára aurë_, Aragorn" he said, clumsily waving at him. Aragorn gave him a quick smile and approached him.  
(Hello, Aragorn)

"_Hannon le_" whispered Legolas, as he started massaging his neck.  
(Thank you)

"_Gelir na thaed. No ce ammaer ab lû thent_"  
(Glad to help. May you get better soon)

"_Im maer_" replied the elf, his heart racing as Aragorn's fingers ran through his long blond hair.  
(I'm well)

The ranger didn't say anything, and after a few minutes he stepped back. Legolas turned around and looked int his eyes for the first time since the battle.

"_Im gelir ceni ad lín_" he said, holding his gaze. Aragorn gave him a confused look.  
(I'm happy to see you again.)

"Did you hit your head?" he asked.

"No!" replied Legolas, blushing. "I was just..."

"You know" Aragorn interrupted him, "Lady Eowyn told me the same thing two seconds ago"

"Did she?" asked Legolas, feeling incredibly stupid.

"Yeah. Well, not in Elvish of course"

"_Tancave_"  
(Obviously)

"Anyway, she was kind of surprised to see me" continued Aragorn, "maybe it's because the last time I was very lucky not to die. The wargs attacked, we fought with the orcs, I fell off a cliff... she must be thinking I'm immortal"

"But you're not" replied Legolas, gravely.

"I know... I was only joking. Are you sure you're okay?" asked Aragorn, staring at him with a serious look.

"I'm... yes" Legolas took a deep breath. "I'm really tired, that's all"

"You should be!" exclaimed Aragorn, giving him a smack on his shoulder. "You fought wonderfully, I saw you"

"You did?"

"Yes, I've been watching you for a while. Skating that shield was... truly amazing!"

"Thanks" said Legolas, feeling a thousand butterflies dancing inside his stomach, "I just wish I had killed one more orc... Gimli won, sadly"

"I see, you little competition" Aragorn shook his head, "are you two ever going to stop?"

"Only when one of us, hopefully I, gets some reward" answered Legolas with a tiny smile.

"Well, if I were you, I wouldn't worry about rewards" said Aragorn, starting to walk away, "you have something that he's never going to have"

"Really?" asked Legolas, curious. "What?"

"_Findesselya vanya_" yelled Aragorn, making his way through the crowded hallway.  
(Your hair looks pretty)

Legolas' heart skipped a beat as he watched him disappear behind the door.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, did you kill any orc?" asked Gimli, as he sat down around the table. Legolas, who was standing in front of him, gave him a severe look.

"No" he answered, reluctantly, "they were all dead"

"Oh, were they?" replied the dwarf, unable to hide his gratification.

"Yes" said Legolas, with a huge fake smile on in his face, "apparently you won. Congratulations!"

Gimli's eyes widened, and his mouth opened in the shape of an "o". The last thing he expected from the elf was a cheerful reaction.

"Thanks" he muttered, astounded.

"You're welcome" replied Legolas, sitting down in front of him. Then, he looked at the empty chair on his left. Aragorn used to sit there. The elf rose up his head and spotted him talking to Eomer and King Theoden near the main entrance. He thought that yelling his name would've been quite impolite, so he patiently waited for him; but once the king had taken his seat at the end of the long table, much to Legolas' dismay, Aragorn followed Eomer and sat down between him and Eowyn.

"Why isn't he sitting with us?" asked Legolas, while Gimli filled his plate with roast chicken and potatoes. "He always sits with us"

"He warned the King about Saruman's army and led Rohan to victory" replied the dwarf, shrugging, "Theoden is probably going to mention him in his speech"

"Right" said Legolas, slowly nodding. Everyone else had already started eating, so he began to fill his plate, without really caring about what it was, too busy staring at Aragorn talk to an excessively content Eowyn.

"You were starving, weren't you?" asked Gimli, shocked by the quantity and most of all the variety of food the friend had put in his dish.

"Excuse me?" said Legolas, giving him a quick peek.

"It seems like you haven't eaten in days"

"I don't understand what… oh"  
Legolas' plate contained chicken wings, boiled potatoes, two pieces of chocolate cake, butter biscuits, a fish's head, some slices of pork and several red cherries.

"I'm hungry" said the elf, trying to sound cool, and he took a small bite of pork.

"I see" commented Gimli. "Why don't you try the lamb? It's over there"

Legolas looked towards the direction the dwarf was pointing, and found out it was near where Aragorn was sitting.

"I think I will" he said, suddenly standing up, "do you want some?"

"Yes, please" replied Gimli, handing him his plate. Legolas grabbed it and walked quickly to the end of the table. The lamb was right between Aragorn and Eowyn.

"Good evening, my lady" he said politely at her back.

"Good evening, my lord" replied Eowyn, turning around, "I hope you are enjoying the feast"

"Everything is absolutely lovely, my lady. The food, the drinks and the company"

"I'm glad to hear that" Eowyn gave him a gentle smile.

"I'm truly sorry to disturb" continued Legolas, "but I was hoping to taste this lamb. I've heard it's really good"

"Do not worry at all!" she exclaimed, moving aside to let him near. "It is good indeed, try some!"

"I thank you" said the elf, bending to take the lamb. Absent mindedly, he touched Aragorn's shoulder.

"I'm sorry…"

"Never mind" hissed Aragorn, grabbing his dish and filling it with meat. "Here"

"Thanks" replied Legolas, taking the plate and giving him a quick smile.

"You're welcome" said the ranger, smiling back. Legolas' heart raced, and he walked back to his chair with new butterflies flying in his stomach.

"Where is my lamb?" asked Gimli, bringing him back to reality.

"What?" asked the elf, dreamy. "Oh, yes, here it is"

"Isn't that yours?"

Legolas looked down: he only had one dish of lamb.

"I must have left mine there" he said, confused.

"No, you didn't" replied the dwarf, "you left it here before you went there. Look"

And in fact, Legolas' dish was still there on the table, right where he had left it, full of random food.

"You're right, Gimli" he said handing him the plate he was holding, "take this"

"And what about you?" asked the dwarf.

"Don't worry" Legolas grabbed his already full dish and looked in Aragorn's direction. "I'm going to take some more for myself"

"You are the oddest elf I have ever met!" exclaimed Gimli, while Legolas stood up again and made his way to the end of the table.


	4. Chapter 4

Once everyone had finished eating, King Theoden grabbed his goblet, stoop up and spoke to his lieges.

"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!"

"Hail!" echoed everyone in the room, who had stood up as well. Then, they all took a sip from their own goblets.

After this sad moment of gathering, everyone went back to celebrate the victory. Merry and Pippin, whom Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli had brought there from Isengard after the battle at Elm's Deep, were now singing and drinking beer on the tabletop, and everyone around them was clapping their hands and laughing. Aragorn was wandering around the room, and Eomer was explaining the rules of the game Gimli had challenged Legolas to.

"No pauses, no spills"

"And no regurgitation!" specified Gimli, grabbing a mug of ale.

"So it's a drinking game?" asked Legolas, as Eomer handed him a beer.

"Aye!"  
The dwarf emptied his mug and then added: "Last one standing wins!"

Legolas took a small sip of his ale, and looked around. He saw Eowyn approach Aragorn and give him a goblet. He drank, and the two of them stared at each other for a while. With a sharp pain within his chest, Legolas looked back at Gimli, emptied his mug and grabbed another one.  
Several beers later, the elf and the dwarf were continuing their drinking contest, under the shocked eyes of Eomer and his soldiers.

"Here, here!" Gimli called for another beer. "It's the dwarves that go swimming with little hairy women!"

Legolas felt like he was about to drown. His throat couldn't bear anymore ale, and he was trying to be as fast as the dwarf, but it seemed impossible to beat him this time. Suddenly, he realised he was going to lose that competition too.

"I feel something" he said, worried, putting his mug down on the table. "A slight tingling in my fingers… I think it's affecting me"

"What did I say?" mocked the dwarf. "He cant hold his liquor…"  
But before he could say something more, his eyes crossed and he fainted. Legolas, whose thought were dimmed by alcohol, found it extremely funny, and he put on a smug face.

"Game over" he commented, and then he left the cheering crowd to join Aragorn and Gandalf.

"Frodo is alive" was saying the wizard, "yes… yes, he's alive"

"Of course he is!" exclaimed Legolas, putting his arms around the two men's shoulders. "We would have know if some spy of Sauron had caught him, right? They would now have the ring!"

"Logic, yeah" said Aragorn, giving Gandalf an amused glare.

"Absolutely" replied the wizard, "you're right master elf, we would have heard something. But let me ask you something"

"Anything, Gandalf!" said Legolas, talking a little louder than usual.

"Have you been drinking, perchance?"

"Of course I have" answered the elf, "why, haven't you?"

"No, I mean recently, did you challenge Gimli to a drinking game? And won, perhaps?"

"Congratulations, Gandalf" whispered Legolas, astonished, "you really can see everything, can't you?"

"Above all, I can smell things" commented the old wizard, gently pushing him away. Aragorn broke into laughs, and Legolas stared at the two of them, confused.

"I think it would be better if you rested a little bit" said Gandalf, then looked at Aragorn. "Why don't you escort him to his room? I don't believe he would easily find it"

"I don't either" replied Aragorn, grabbing Legolas' arm, "so come on you. This way"

And the both of them left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Legolas' heart was racing more than it had all day. He was walking the hallway of the castle with Aragorn attached to his arm, and they were going to be alone in his bedroom in a few minutes. Within a sober part of his brain, he was starting to realise that the weird feeling of excitement wasn't only due to the alcohol. He was actually enjoying the thought of spending some time alone with his best friend, his _male_ best friend, his careful, sensitive, sweet, handsome, male best friend. And Legolas was just adoring the thought.

"Do you know where my room is?" he asked to break the ice.

"Of course I do" answered Aragorn, "it isn't very far away from mine. Have you seriously drunk that much?"

"No, I was just asking" replied Legolas, feeling a bit stupid. Then he realised it was probably better if Aragorn thought he was completely drunk, that way he could have blamed it on the alcohol if he had rejected him.

"So" he said, too curious to stop himself, "I saw you talk to Lady Eowyn tonight"

"Yes, she is good company" said Aragorn, holding his eyes to the hallway.

"Was she angry about not being able to fight?"

"A little bit. But she's happy because everything is over now"

"Not for long"

"Not for long" repeated Aragorn, "true. Maybe you're not that boozy after all"

"I am not?" replied Legolas, fake-slurring. "Of course I'm not, lad, I am an elf, an incredibly strong creature with pointy ears and… and I can hold my liquor, right?"

"Forget what I just said" commented Aragorn with a sly smile. "Come on, lad" he added sarcastically, and he strengthen his grasp on his arm.  
Legolas felt euphoric.

"Here we are" said Aragorn after a while, quickly opening a door and pushing the elf into the room. "Good night, lad"

"Wait!" yelled Legolas, before the ranger could reach the door.

"Yes?" asked Aragorn, giving him a curious look.

"Can't… can't you stay here for a while?" stuttered Legolas, clumsily.

"Why, you fear the darkness?"

"No, I don't!"

"You fear loneliness?" insisted Aragorn.

"No!" replied Legolas, both offended and desperate. "I was just hoping we could have a little chat"

"Like good lads?" asked Aragorn, raising an eyebrow.

"Stop making fun of me" said Legolas, crossing his arms, "I was just trying to start a conversation…"

"Relax, lad, I was joking"

"And don't call me lad"

"You sound like a girl" said Aragorn, huffing.  
Legolas' heart skipped a bit. This was his big chance to talk about Aragorn's sentimental situation.

"Does Arwen mind when you make jokes?" he asked, trying to sound natural.  
Aragorn instantly frowned. For a moment, it looked like he wanted to hit Legolas.

"I hardly make jokes when I'm with her" he slowly answered, "we usually talk about our feelings. She's not a humoristic girl, you see"

"In such hard times, it's completely normal, I think" replied Legolas.

"Probably you're right" said Aragorn, before taking a deep breath.

"Do you miss her?" whispered Legolas.

"I… yes" Aragorn hesitated, "I miss her because I know I'm never going to see her again"

"Is that why you're flirting with Lady Eowyn?" Legolas couldn't stop himself from asking.

"What?" bawled Aragorn.  
Maybe it was too much.

"I'm sorry" started Legolas, "I was just wondering if… if there's any chance that you could get over Arwen, now that she's taken the ship to Valinor"

"What does that have to do with Lady Eowyn?"

"She seemed to be interested in you"

"Legolas…" said Aragorn, shocked, "I am almost three times her age!"

"But you don't show it" simply replied Legolas, even though the ranger's words were making him feel better.

"Legolas, I can't" insisted Aragorn, dizzy. "Why do you care so much about it anyway?"

"I don't" lied Legolas, "but I couldn't help but notice that she smiles a lot when you are around"

"She will get over it"

"And you will get over Arwen"

Aragorn stared at him with the same frown of before, but this time the elf didn't try to defend himself. He meant exactly what he had said, and he didn't care if the ranger was going to hit him.

"Do you really think that?" asked Aragorn, taking some step closer to him.

"Do you really think Lady Eowyn will get over you?" asked Legolas, holding his glare.

"Yes" Aragorn replied with no hesitation.

"Well, then yes" said Legolas, shrugging.

"You speak like everything was so easy" commented the ranger, "maybe it's because you're really drunk…"

"Absolutely" affirmed Legolas, wanting him to think he was all but interested in him way more than Eowyn could be.

"Yes, you're drunk" repeated Aragorn, approaching him and with a malicious look on his face, "so drunk, in fact, that you probably will remember nothing tomorrow"

"Not a single thing" said Legolas, trying to hide is hastiness.

"So maybe…" said Aragorn, standing right in front of the elf.

"Yes?" asked Legolas eagerly.

"Maybe you should get some sleep" concluded the ranger, pushing him down to the baldaquin bed.  
Legolas was so disappointed he didn't know what to do or say to stop him without showing how sober he actually was.

"_N__amárië_" said Aragorn, turning around and starting to walk towards the door.  
(Farewell)

The room was silent all around Legolas, but not too dark. As Aragorn let some light in from the hallway, he could see clearly every peace of furniture. The ripped carpet, the old dusty curtains, the small windows, the opened black trunk containing his sword… no, not his sword.  
Confused, Legolas gave a quick look at the rest of the room, and he realised that not only the sword wasn't his sword, but that the trunk wasn't his trunk and the bed wasn't his bed. That wasn't his bedroom.

"Aragorn" he called, "this is not my room"

"Isn't it?" said Aragorn, turning back and looking at him. "I thought it was"

"No, it isn't" insisted Legolas, getting irritated. Not only the ranger was going to leave him in a stranger's room to quickly get back to Eowyn, but he was also implying that he couldn't recognise his own room!

"This is the last room of the hallway" said Aragorn, "on the left side coming from the dining room"

"Of course it's the wrong room then" replied Legolas, standing up and walking towards him, "my room is on the right side of the hallway. This must be Eomer's room, because that sword looks exactly like his"

"What a good memory" said Aragorn, raising an eyebrow.  
Legolas' heart raced again, but this time out of fear. He had just proved him not only that he knew precisely where his room was, but also that he was completely sober.

"I was just…" stuttered the elf.

"I knew you were lying about being drunk" hissed the ranger, closing the door behind his back.

"I wasn't trying to make fun of you, if that's what you think"

"Then what were you trying to do?"

"I wanted to be alone with you" admitted Legolas, who found it extremely hard to hold his gaze now.

"Why?" asked Aragorn, approaching to his face.  
Legolas didn't say anything. He simply stared at him with desperate eyes while panic invaded his mind.

"_Edro gûr lín_" said Aragorn, with a sweet voice.  
(Open your heart)

"I can't" replied Legolas in a whisper.  
But Aragorn didn't need any explanation. He had understood just by looking into his eyes. As the elf tried to move his head away, the ranger put his hand under his chin and held it still.

"Is it something that you feel?" he asked.

"Yes" Legolas nodded, his heart was pounding, "I wanted to tell you when you came back and I gave you Arwen's necklace back"

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I didn't want to be rejected"

"What makes you think I would have rejected you?" asked Aragorn, staring at him.

"You are still in love with her, you said that" said Legolas, hurting himself more than ever.

"I said that I missed her" corrected Aragorn, "I know that she and I only had an adventure. I told her so when we left Rivendell"

"And what did she say?"

"_Le melin_" whispered Aragorn, before pressing his lips to Legolas'.  
(I love you)


End file.
